An Mutation Changes the Gene Expression of the Phototransduction Pathway: A Mutation Enhances the Phototaxis of Male (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae).

is a typical phototactic pest. contributes to the phototaxis of , but the expression changes of other genes in the phototransduction pathway caused by the mutation of remain unknown. In the study, the head transcriptomes of male G88 and mutants were compared. A GO-function annotation showed that DEGs mainly belonged to the categories of molecular functions, biological processes, and cell composition. Additionally, a KEGG-pathway analysis suggested that DEGs were significantly enriched in some classical pathways, such as the phototransduction-fly and vitamin digestion and absorption pathways. The mRNA expressions of genes in the phototransduction-fly pathway, such as , and were significantly up-regulated, and , , , , and were significantly down-regulated. The expression trends of nine DEGs in the phototransduction pathway confirmed by a RT-qPCR were consistent with transcriptomic data. In addition, the influence of a mutation on the phototaxis of was examined, and the results showed that the male mutant exhibited higher phototactic rates to UV and blue lights than the male G88. Our results indicated that the mutation changed the expression of genes in the phototransduction pathway, and the mutation of enhanced the phototaxis of a male, providing a basis for further investigation on the phototransduction pathway in .